All standards and laws

WCAG

WCAG conformance testing

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are the technical standard behind ADA Title II, Section 504, and Section 508. We test against WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the version named in ADA Title II and the HHS Section 504 rule. WCAG 2.2 assessment is available on request.

Request an audit

How WCAG is organized

  • Four principles

    • Perceivable: content can be seen, heard, or provided another way
    • Operable: every function works, including with a keyboard alone
    • Understandable: content behaves predictably and errors are explained
    • Robust: content works with assistive technology

  • Conformance levels

    WCAG has three levels: A, AA, and AAA. Level AA includes Level A. The federal rules require Level AA; Level AAA is not required.

  • What software can find

    Automated tools detect issues such as missing text alternatives or low color contrast: an estimated 30 to 40 percent of WCAG issues.

  • What requires a tester

    Whether a text alternative is accurate, whether focus order is logical, and whether a custom control works with a screen reader can only be determined by manual testing.

How we test

We use the DHS Trusted Tester process, which covers the 38 WCAG 2.0 criteria in Section 508, and test the 12 criteria added in WCAG 2.1 separately, for all 50 at Level A and AA. Assessment against WCAG 2.2 Level AA is available on request.

Request an audit

Sources

This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.